A Catalog of the Highest-energy Cosmic Rays Recorded during Phase I of Operation of the Pierre Auger Observatory

A catalog containing details of the highest-energy cosmic rays recorded through the detection of extensive air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory is presented with the aim of opening the data to detailed examination. Descriptions of the 100 showers created by the highest-energy particles recorded between 2004 January 1 and 2020 December 31 are given for cosmic rays that have energies in the range 78–166 EeV. Details are also given on a further nine very energetic events that have been used in the calibration procedure adopted to determine the energy of each primary. A sky plot of the arrival directions of the most energetic particles is shown. No interpretations of the data are offered.Fil: Binet, V. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Física de Rosario (IFIR-CONICET); Argentina.Fil: Micheletti, M. I. Universidad Nacional de Rosario. Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas. Instituto de Física de Rosario (IFIR-CONICET); Argentina

Early complications after living donor nephrectomy: analysis of the Swiss Organ Living Donor Health Registry.

We evaluated the prospectively collected data about the incidence of early peri- and postoperative complications, and potential risk factors for adverse outcomes after living kidney donation in Switzerland. Peri- and postoperative events were prospectively recorded on a questionnaire by the local transplant teams of all Swiss transplant centres and evaluated by the Swiss Organ Living Donor Health Registry. Complications were classified according to the Clavien grading system. A total of 1649 consecutive donors between 1998 and 2015 were included in the analysis. There was no perioperative mortality observed. The overall complication rate was 13.5%. Major complications defined as Clavien ≥3 occurred in 2.1% of donors. Obesity was not associated with any complications. Donor age >70years was associated with major complications (odds ratio [OR] 3.99) and genitourinary complications (urinary tract infection OR 5.85; urinary retention OR 6.61). There were more major complications observed in donors with laparoscopic surgery versus open surgery (p = 0.048), but an equal overall complication rate (p = 0.094). We found a low rate of major and minor complications, independent of surgical technique, after living donor nephrectomy. There was no elevated complication rate in obese donors. In contrast, elderly donors >70 years had an elevated risk for perioperative complications

SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 in patients on the Swiss national transplant waiting list.

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on patients listed for solid organ transplantation has not been systematically investigated to date. Thus, we assessed occurrence and effects of infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on patients on the Swiss national waiting list for solid organ transplantation. Patient data were retrospectively extracted from the Swiss Organ Allocation System (SOAS). From 16 March to 31 May 2020, we included all patients listed for solid organ transplantation on the Swiss national waiting list who were tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. Severity of COVID-19 was categorised as follows: stage I, mild symptoms; stage II, moderate to severe symptoms; stage III, critical symptoms; stage IV, death. We compared the incidence rate (laboratory-confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2), the hospital admission rate (number of admissions of SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals), and the case fatality rate (number of deaths of SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals) in our study population with the general Swiss population during the study period, calculating age-adjusted standardised incidence ratios and standardised mortality ratios, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A total of 1439 patients were registered on the Swiss national solid organ transplantation waiting list on 31 May 31 2020. Twenty-four (1.7%) waiting list patients were reported to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the study period. The median age was 56 years (interquartile range 45.3–65.8), and 14 (58%) were male. Of all patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, two patients were asymptomatic, 14 (58%) presented in COVID-19 stage I, 3 (13%) in stage II, and 5 (21%) in stage III. Eight patients (33%) were admitted to hospital, four (17%) required intensive care, and three (13%) mechanical ventilation. Twenty-two patients (92%) of all those infected recovered, but two male patients aged >65 years with multiple comorbidities died in hospital from respiratory failure. Comparing our study population with the general Swiss population, the age-adjusted standardised incidence ratio was 4.1 (95% CI 2.7–6.0). The overall rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections in candidates awaiting solid organ transplantation was four times higher than in the Swiss general population; however, the frequency of testing likely played a role. Given the small sample size of affected patients, conclusions have to be drawn cautiously and results need verification in larger cohorts

Prevalence and determinants of chronic kidney disease in the Swiss population.

QUESTIONS UNDER STUDY: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing worldwide, corresponding to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The latest study on prevalence of CKD involving the three linguistic regions of Switzerland dates back to 2002-2003 and definitions have changed since then. We aimed to assess the current prevalence and determinants of CKD in the Swiss general population. METHODS: We analysed the data of 1353 participants from a cross-sectional population-based survey performed in 2010-2012 in the three linguistic regions of Switzerland. The prevalence of CKD and the derived cardiovascular risk categories were assessed according to the Kidney Disease - Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) 2012 classification, using estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR; CKD-Epidemiological Collaboration equation) and albuminuria level. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse factors associated with CKD. RESULTS: We included 660 men and 693 women, equally distributed in four age categories (15-29, 30-44, 45-59 and over 60 years). The overall prevalence of CKD was 10.4%. The prevalence in the low, moderate, high and very high risk KDIGO categories were 89.6%, 8.4%, 1.6% and 0.5%, respectively. The prevalence of CKD was similar in all linguistic regions. In multivariate analysis, female gender, older age, diabetes and uric acid were independently associated with CKD in persons ≥45 y. In younger participants, diabetes and lower educational level were associated with CKD. CONCLUSIONS: In the general Swiss population, CKD affects one in ten adults. Subjects older than 60 years, as well as patients with diabetes and hypertension, show a high prevalence of CKD. Systematic screening may be recommended in this population

Associations of sodium, potassium and protein intake with blood pressure and hypertension in Switzerland.

Nutritional factors play an important role in the regulation of blood pressure and in the development of hypertension. In this analysis, we explored the associations of 24-hour urinary Na+, K+ and urea excretion with blood pressure levels and the risk of hypertension in the Swiss population, taking regional linguistic differences into account. The Swiss Survey on Salt is a population based cross-sectional study that included 1336 subjects from the three main linguistic regions (French, German and Italian) of Switzerland. Blood pressure was measured with a validated oscillometric Omron HEM 907 device. Hypertension was defined as current antihypertensive treatment or a mean systolic blood pressure >140 mm Hg and/or diastolic >90 mm Hg, based on eight blood pressure measurements performed at two visits. Na+, K+ and urea excretion were assessed in 24-hour urine collections. We use multiple logistic/linear regressions to explore the associations of urine Na+, K+ and urea with blood pressure / hypertension, taking into account potential confounders and effect modifiers. The prevalence of hypertension was 30%, 26% and 17% in the German-, French- and Italian- speaking regions respectively, (p-value across regions <0.001). In the Swiss adult population, besides age, sex, and body mass index, urinary Na+ excretion was positively associated with systolic blood pressure and hypertension. Urinary K+ excretion tended to be negatively associated with blood pressure but this was not significant (p = 0.08). Hypertensive people had a higher 24-hour urinary Na+/K+ ratio than normotensive people (p = 0.003). Urinary urea excretion was associated with neither blood pressure nor hypertension. Participants from the German-speaking region had a higher likelihood of having a high systolic blood pressure. We confirm a high prevalence of elevated blood pressure in Swiss adults, including regional differences. In Switzerland, urinary Na+ excretion is associated positively with blood pressure and hypertension, independently of urinary K+ and urea excretion. The observed differences in blood pressure levels across linguistic regions are independent of the urinary Na+, K+ and urea excretion

Design and methodology of the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study (STCS): a comprehensive prospective nationwide long-term follow-up cohort.

In Switzerland, organ procurement is well organized at the national-level but transplant outcomes have not been systematically monitored so far. Therefore, a novel project, the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study (STCS), was established. The STCS is a prospective multicentre study, designed as a dynamic cohort, which enrolls all solid organ recipients at the national level. The features of the STCS are a flexible patient-case system that allows capturing all transplant scenarios and collection of patient-specific and allograft-specific data. Beyond comprehensive clinical data, specific focus is directed at psychosocial and behavioral factors, infectious disease development, and bio-banking. Between May 2008 and end of 2011, the six Swiss transplant centers recruited 1,677 patients involving 1,721 transplantations, and a total of 1,800 organs implanted in 15 different transplantation scenarios. 10 % of all patients underwent re-transplantation and 3% had a second transplantation, either in the past or during follow-up. 34% of all kidney allografts originated from living donation. Until the end of 2011 we observed 4,385 infection episodes in our patient population. The STCS showed operative capabilities to collect high-quality data and to adequately reflect the complexity of the post-transplantation process. The STCS represents a promising novel project for comparative effectiveness research in transplantation medicine

Facile Bulk Synthesis of pi Cubic SnS

The cubic modification of binary tin sulfide SnS has gained significant interest as an earth abundant, low toxicity solar absorber material with a band gap close to the optimal value for the conversion of sunlight. We herein report a simple synthesis for the metastable material, which will allow more elaborate characterization methods to be used on this material, and present a full powder refinement of the material along with some preliminary results on the optical and thermal stability propertie

Influence of IFNL3/4 polymorphisms on the incidence of cytomegalovirus infection after solid-organ transplantation

Background. Polymorphisms in the interferon-λ (IFNL) 3/4 region have been associated with reduced hepatitis C virus clearance. We explored the role of such polymorphisms on the incidence of CMV infection in solid-organ transplant (SOT) recipients. Methods. Caucasian patients participating in the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study in 2008-2011 were included. A novel functional TT/-G polymorphism (rs368234815) in the CpG region upstream of IFNL3 was investigated. Results. A total of 840 SOT recipients at risk for CMV were included, among whom 373 (44%) received antiviral prophylaxis. The 12-months cumulative incidence of CMV replication and disease were 0.44 and 0.08, respectively. Patient homozygous for the minor rs368234815 allele (-G/-G) tended to have a higher cumulative incidence of CMV replication (SHR=1.30 [95%CI 0.97-1.74], P=0.07) compared to other patients (TT/TT or TT/-G). The association was significant among patients followed by a preemptive approach (SHR=1.46 [1.01-2.12], P=0.047), especially in patients receiving an organ from a seropositive donor (D+, SHR=1.92 [95%CI 1.30-2.85], P=0.001), but not among those who received antiviral prophylaxis (SHR=1.13 [95%CI 0.70-1.83], P=0.6). These associations remained significant in multivariate competing risk regression models. Conclusions. Polymorphisms in the IFNL3/4 region influence susceptibility to CMV replication in SOT recipients, particularly in patients not receiving antiviral prophylaxi

Precision Measurement of the Neutron Spin Asymmetries and Spin-dependent Structure Functions in the Valence Quark Region

We report on measurements of the neutron spin asymmetries $A_{1,2}^n$ and polarized structure functions $g_{1,2}^n$ at three kinematics in the deep inelastic region, with $x=0.33$, 0.47 and 0.60 and $Q^2=2.7$, 3.5 and 4.8 (GeV/c)$^2$, respectively. These measurements were performed using a 5.7 GeV longitudinally-polarized electron beam and a polarized $^3$He target. The results for $A_1^n$ and $g_1^n$ at $x=0.33$ are consistent with previous world data and, at the two higher $x$ points, have improved the precision of the world data by about an order of magnitude. The new $A_1^n$ data show a zero crossing around $x=0.47$ and the value at $x=0.60$ is significantly positive. These results agree with a next-to-leading order QCD analysis of previous world data. The trend of data at high $x$ agrees with constituent quark model predictions but disagrees with that from leading-order perturbative QCD (pQCD) assuming hadron helicity conservation. Results for $A_2^n$ and $g_2^n$ have a precision comparable to the best world data in this kinematic region. Combined with previous world data, the moment $d_2^n$ was evaluated and the new result has improved the precision of this quantity by about a factor of two. When combined with the world proton data, polarized quark distribution functions were extracted from the new $g_1^n/F_1^n$ values based on the quark parton model. While results for $\Delta u/u$ agree well with predictions from various models, results for $\Delta d/d$ disagree with the leading-order pQCD prediction when hadron helicity conservation is imposed.Comment: A typing error in A_\parallel(3He) at x=0.47 in Table VII of Phys. Rev. C has been noticed and correcte